Page 21 - Climate Change and Food Systems

chapter 1
Climate change, food security and trade: An overview of global assessments and policy insights
Aziz Elbehri1, Joshua Elliott2 and Tim Wheeler3
main chapter messages
■ Convergent results are showing that climate change will fundamentally alter global food production patterns, with negative crop productivity impacts likely expected in low latitude and tropical regions but somewhat positive in high latitude regions.
■ Water mediates much of climate change impact on agriculture and increased water scarcity in many regions of the world present a major challenge for climate adaptation, food security and nutrition. Tackling the climate-food-water- trade nexus requires deploying coherent cross- sectoral, national, and regional strategies.
■ Climate impacts on future food supply strongly suggest an enhanced role for trade with expanded flows from the mid-to-high latitude regions to the low latitudes regions, where production and export potential could be reduced. Progress on climate-compatible
trade policies requires resolving the trade versus environment trade-offs and ensuring that future trade rules are more aligned with climate objectives.
■ Combatting climate change goes hand in hand with alleviating poverty which requires mainstreaming climate responses within pro- poor development strategies. Mainstreaming should promote ‘no regrets’ actions that target improved resiliency to current and future climate impacts, especially for the poor and most vulnerable groups.
■ Robust and reliable science-based evidence is critical to the development of policies to address climate impacts on food security and trade. A strategic and structured dialogue is required between science and policy and between global and regional impact research with local validation to support policy action.
1 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy
2 University of Chicago Computation Institute, USA
3 Department of Agriculture, University of Reading, United Kingdom
1